Marian reforms

[Baktrion Agema]

The FAQ says this about the marian reforms

-At least the year 172BC
-Have more than 6 Latifundia built in Italy
-Hold at least 45 settlements
-Fight more than 250 battles
-Have a character that is:
Sharp/Charismatic/Vigorous
Popularis
Consul or Ex-Consul
Has Influence > 2
Has Command > 2
OR
-Conquer 90 settlements.


But what is the 'Conquer 90 settlements' bit an alternative to? It sounds hard to get the MArian reforms, getting the necessary family member in particular. Is it true that once you get the reforms you can create cohorts from all your settlements?

[d'Arthez]

You can get the Marian reforms as early as 242 BC, once you have triggered Polybians. You do need to own 90 settlements, which is a bit beyond what most players would have at that time.

Not all provinces can build Marian units. If you venture into the steppes, or deep into Asia, you will find there are actually areas where you can't get them. Use recruitment viewer in case of doubt.

As an aside, I think the battlecounter has been disabled for the reforms. So there would be no requirement for you to have battled at least 250 times.

[Cambyses]

Yeah, Im struggling with them now myself.

The hard part seems to be the Sharp/Charismatic/Vigorous guy who is ALSO popularis, the rest you can work on with the right character. Get him to fight enough battles and he should get consul eventually and the command and influence pretty easily along the way. Although the game appears to have the same rule as real life Rome did in that you need to be at least 40 years old to be a consul. Im not sure whether this is just a co-incidence or not in my game?

Ive waited literally 15 years for a plebean S/C/V bloke to show up. And he finally has in 187 BC. Im guessing if I stick him in a city with a temple of Ceres he will pick up popularis at some stage - or do I need to keep knocking the temple down and rebuilding it to trigger his chance of acquiring the trait? Then after that he can conquer Africa or Spain for me...

The annoying thing is I have 2 guys who have all the necessary requirements to trigger the reforms, but they are both quite old and will surely die before I reach 172 :thumbsdown:

[thelord]

hey you think the Marians are hard? they are a piece of cake compared to the requirements for the Augustans. :laugh4:

[Sdragon]

In version 1.00 I was so close to getting those reforms but I couldn't get Consul. Infact I've never had a general to get that trait. So much is based on random trait gaining it's easier to conquer 90 settlements. By which point who needs reforms? Theres nobody left strong enough to fight you.

[Cartaphilus]

In only one game I got the Marian reforms without trouble - and without doing anything, I was simply lucky.
But I never saw the Augustan ones.

[Cambyses]

In version 1.00 I was so close to getting those reforms but I couldn't get Consul. Infact I've never had a general to get that trait. So much is based on random trait gaining it's easier to conquer 90 settlements. By which point who needs reforms? Theres nobody left strong enough to fight you.

That's interesting. In my game almost all the guys I have who got a Vanquisher or especially Victor trait seem to have ended up consuls eventually, especially if they were also "conqueror" and "popular hero". The ones who never get it seem to be the guys who sit in some safe city as a governor, unless they are amazing political animals. Is that all just a co-incidence?

[Sdragon]

That's interesting. In my game almost all the guys I have who got a Vanquisher or especially Victor trait seem to have ended up consuls eventually, especially if they were also "conqueror" and "popular hero". The ones who never get it seem to be the guys who sit in some safe city as a governor, unless they are amazing political animals. Is that all just a co-incidence?

Perhaps I'm just unlucky. My 8 star triumph general died without getting consul at the age of 80. I only ever pay attention to the traits of my generals who do the fighting so I wouldn't know how the pencil pushers are developing. They all seem to have 7-10 management and influence so they are all the same to me.

[Baktrion Agema]

By the way this is version 1.0 so is the battle count and the 90 settlements valid then? If so what is the 90 settlements an alternative to?

[Foot]

(-At least the year 172BC
-Have more than 6 Latifundia built in Italy
-Hold at least 45 settlements
-Fight more than 250 battles
-Have a character that is:
Sharp/Charismatic/Vigorous
Popularis
Consul or Ex-Consul
Has Influence > 2
Has Command > 2)
OR
(-Conquer 90 settlements.)

Foot

[craziii]

do you want marian reforms fast? mod it your self. same with augustan. the easiest way is to change the (-Conquer 90 settlements.) to like 7 for polybian, 8 for marian, add a line for 9 settlements in the script for the augustan. this is totally unhistorical though, but as long as you enjoy the mod right?

[Cambyses]

That's something I would maybe consider if I got desperate later, but for now I would rather just stick to doing it the proper way. Any hints or tips on how to get a. the popularis trait and b. consul would be much appreciated.

[Chris1959]

I had two characters that had all the requirements plus everything else and for twenty years nothing happened!!! In fact both guys ended up losing the popularis trait for no reason I could see.
In the end I changed the script to >65 settlements in 120BC

[Baktrion Agema]

How do I change the script, where abouts is it?

[Korlon]

How do I change the script, where abouts is it?

Head to your \EB\Data\scripts\show_me folder and open up EBBS_Script.txt. Use something like Notepad++ to change it though. I've heard bad things happen if you use regular notepad to do it.

Anyways, just look up Unconditional. Eventually, you'll see this:


;Unconditional Player Reforms
monitor_event FactionTurnEnd FactionType seleucid
and FactionIsLocal
and I_CompareCounter Romanii_Reform = 1
and I_NumberOfSettlements seleucid > 89

set_counter Romanii_Reform 2
set_counter MarianReformsAdvisor 1

terminate_monitor

Change the number in "and I_NumberOfSettlements seleucid > 89" to whatever you want, and once that variable is achieved, you'll get your Marian reforms, easily.

[Nobo]

Use something like Notepad++ to change it though. I've heard bad things happen if you use regular notepad to do it.


I've been messing around quite a bit with the regular notebook... should I be worried? :inquisitive:

[konny]

I've been messing around quite a bit with the regular notebook... should I be worried? :inquisitive:

There seems to be a problem with the trait file. For reasons unknown to me notepad tends to save it with the wrong encoding. Strange enough that this does not happen with other files like EDU and EDB.

[QuintusSertorius]

Temple of Ceres is a great way to helping characters along to being Populares.

Otherwise I don't know why people are struggling to get their FM's up the cursus honorum; by the time you've got schools or academies in most places in central Rome it should be easy to get them the right traits. Plus if you circulate your generals some, rather than using the game guy over and again, you should build up their command stars.

[General Appo]

hey you think the Marians are hard? they are a piece of cake compared to the requirements for the Augustans. :laugh4:

The Augustans are a piece of cake. I got my Augustus in 168 BC. So now I only have to wait about 100 years to get the reforms. :wall:

[Sdragon]

How many people have actually reached the Augustan reforms without cheating? Half my games I play as Roman and I've yet to see the Marian. Three times I've reached the right year but never been able to get them. I usually lose interest before I get 90 settlements. 75 is my personal best.

[d'Arthez]

The Augustans are a piece of cake. I got my Augustus in 168 BC. So now I only have to wait about 100 years to get the reforms. :wall:
Ag, save and reload, until the character is undeathly youthful.:laugh4:

[Baktrion Agema]

Thankyou everyone :)

[fenix3279]

Would it be possible to help the A.I. get the Marian reforms? How would I do it? Please don't scare me with big words. I'm technologically challenged.


EDIT - I'm trying to think up ways to have an epic campaign. Basically, I want the Romans to conquer everything so that it's actually difficult to beat them. I'll start out as Carthage and will cut all ties with Italy and Spain. I'll fight my way around the world until I reach the Romans at about 130 b.c. (give or take). Hopefully by then they will have Marians and half the world under their control. I want Rome to actually fight like they did throughout history. Like, what would have happened if the Punic Wars never took place and Carthage was hell-bent on militarizing everything? It's kind of a fantasy of mine :mellow:

[QuintusSertorius]

Quick question about the reforms, when they happen I remember there being something about the MIC building appearing on it's own and destroying your existing one.

Does that mean you're forced to switch to Marian troops the moment it happens? Or can you continue using Polybian troops until you finish the job on your old MICs?

I ask because if mine occur before 110BC or so, I don't actually want them.

[Korlon]

Quick question about the reforms, when they happen I remember there being something about the MIC building appearing on it's own and destroying your existing one.

Does that mean you're forced to switch to Marian troops the moment it happens? Or can you continue using Polybian troops until you finish the job on your old MICs?

I ask because if mine occur before 110BC or so, I don't actually want them.

I've heard that destroying just meant putting all your Polybian barracks on 100% damage. You'll have to destroy them yourself. Not sure if you can still continue using them though.

[QuintusSertorius]

I've heard that destroying just meant putting all your Polybian barracks on 100% damage. You'll have to destroy them yourself. Not sure if you can still continue using them though.

That's essentially my question; when they happen does it mean I'm forced to use Marian troops? I don't want a reform in 150BC removing my ability to continue using Polybian troops, for example.

In a way I don't think there's much danger of that, I won't even hit the lower 45 province requirement by 110BC. I'll only have 30-something sticking to historical expansion.

[Captain Trek]

That's essentially my question; when they happen does it mean I'm forced to use Marian troops? I don't want a reform in 150BC removing my ability to continue using Polybian troops, for example.

In a way I don't think there's much danger of that, I won't even hit the lower 45 province requirement by 110BC. I'll only have 30-something sticking to historical expansion.

I actually have the same concern regarding the up-coming Polybian reforms in my Romani campaign because, and you probably won't believe this, I actually don't want to lose access to Rorarii... I'm not kidding! I love those guys... :sweatdrop:

[Korlon]

I actually have the same concern regarding the up-coming Polybian reforms in my Romani campaign because, and you probably won't believe this, I actually don't want to lose access to Rorarii... I'm not kidding! I love those guys... :sweatdrop:

For those, if you just don't upgrade your barracks in a few select cities, you'll still have your lovable little Rorarii.

[Captain Trek]

For those, if you just don't upgrade your barracks in a few select cities, you'll still have your lovable little Rorarii.

Thanks... just making sure... :beam:

I know... I love Rorarii... it's pathetic really... :sweatdrop:

[QuintusSertorius]

The Marian reform isn't the same though, is it?

[GnaeusCotta]

Is it possible for a patrician general to get the popularis treat?
because I only get sharp charismatic vigorous generals who are patrician.
I had 4 candidates of becoming the reformer but they were al patrician so I let them built temples of Cerces but all but one of them got optimas instead of popularis:whip:

[konny]

Is it possible for a patrician general to get the popularis treat?

Yes.

[Flying Pig]

The only problem I have with the reforms is the lack of equites singulares. I actually put hem in as an upgrade, and modded the requirements so that the marian reforms immediatly happened when they appeared. FORWARD THE CAVALRY!:-)

[TancredTheNorman]

I know this is a bad idea and necromancy but would anyone be able to tell me if it is possible to just cheat in order to change an optimates to a populares and get the reforms? If it is possible to use character cheats as Romani how do I do it because all I get when trying to do it is character not found, is cheating just disabled entirely in EB, and if not is there a special trick to helping all of these 3-4 name people become Populares?

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Thanks... just making sure... :beam:

I know... I love Rorarii... it's pathetic really... :sweatdrop:

Rorarii are really good skirmishers. Unlike Velites, they can hold their own in melee. Due to the larger number of men in the unit, and the larger quantity of javelin ammunition, a unit of Rorarii is better than a unit of Hastati.

[Mulceber]

I wouldn't say they're better than Velites (or Hastati) - I think they have a purpose. If you have four units of Velites and put them in skirmish mode, they can inflict a LOT of damage on the enemy just by massed javelin fire. But you're right, they aren't very good at melee. Rorarii are, imo, useful for soaking up an enemy charge, although they are decent melee fighters in their own right. Personally though, I'd put Hastati above them any day. -M

[anubis88]

An a bit off topic question. Once you hit the Imperial reforms, do you still have access to the cavalry auxilia? Or are they replaced by the ala imperatoria?

[Mulceber]

Supposedly they're replaced by Ala Imperatoria, but I've still got a couple provinces that can produce the older auxiliary cavalry. -M